It wasn't a difficult selection. Nobody in the videogame arena has proven as innovative and irrefutably influential as Nintendo's legendary game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto. He earns our top pick because he has successfully created pioneering, industry-shaping videogames and hardware for nearly three decades. His contributions have been blatantly copied by competitors just as much as they've been applauded by players around the world.
His track record speaks for itself. From the mind of a single, unwaveringly happy man comes such timeless franchises as Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., and The Legend of Zelda. Through the years, Miyamoto has had his hand in just about every major Nintendo series, including Wave Race, Mario Kart, F-Zero and Star Fox. Yet, he has never rested on his laurels, continuing to develop new ideas and fresh game concepts, including the 3D sensation that was Super Mario 64, the ultra-accessible Pikmin and the simply addictive Nintendogs. He brought the analog stick and the rumble pak to console gamers and he was integral in the advent of Nintendo's dual-screen handheld.
Even now, almost 30 years after Donkey Kong arrived in arcades, Miyamoto's new software and hardware advancements continue to redefine the industry. When competitors bet on high-definition graphics, Miyamoto gambled on a simpler system with a gameplay-changing controller. He packed it with a game called Wii Sports and the rest is history. Since then, the Nintendo visionary has helped spread the industry beyond its normal parameters, hooking new players with unconventional software like Wii Fit.
Long after the 53-year-old veteran retires from the industry -- and we hope that day remains tucked away in the distant future -- his legacy will live on. If the videogame market has rock stars, Miyamoto is its biggest and brightest.
